Stage Door News
Stage Door News
The Grand Theatre is thrilled to launch COMPASS, a New Play Development Program dedicated to creating and premiering new work on The Grand stages. Dennis Garnhum, Artistic Director as of October 1, 2016, announced the program at a press conference held this morning at the theatre.
“COMPASS will launch with four commissions that celebrate significant people from our past as well as examine ideas of identity important to our community and country today. This program reflects my belief that in order to be a relevant theatre company, we must develop and premiere our stories on our stages,” said Garnhum.
“This is a very exciting time for our theatre and is an incredible opportunity for London as a region to be on the forefront of theatre in Canada. These plays will have impact on the theatre community not only locally, but nationally. This is the first program of its kind for The Grand and marks a transition to Dennis Garnhum’s new vision for our theatre,” said Deb Harvey, Executive Director of The Grand Theatre.
The program will commission and workshop new plays developed and brought to life at The Grand Theatre. The first productions in development that will premiere on The Grand MainStage include:
GUY LOMBARDO’S NEW YEAR’S EVE, with orchestrations and original music by Dave Pierce, book and direction by Dennis Garnhum, will have its World Premiere Spring 2019. This musical celebration of a local hero will celebrate Lombardo and his orchestra, The Royal Canadians, in a sweeping spectacle that traces his legendary rise to “Mr. New Year’s Eve.”
STARLIGHT TOURS, a musical drama with music and lyrics by Leslie Arden and book by Cathy Elliott, will be workshopped and developed in collaboration with Sheridan College’s Canadian Music Theatre Project. The production explores a clash of cultures while celebrating the strength and resilience of two young women; one Cree and one white.
“I look forward to working on the book and collaborating with Leslie Arden on Starlight Tours, a subject that means the world to me as an artist, a citizen of Canada, and an Indigenous (Mi’kmaq) person,” said Cathy Elliott, playwright of Starlight Tours. “I am gratified that The Grand Theatre is intent on asking the difficult questions and taking on the challenge of such a difficult story, and I look ahead to meeting that challenge head on.”
LONDON BRIDGES is a contemporary comedy in two acts: Act One in London, England, Act Two in London, Ontario, each written by a playwright of that region. The play tells the story of two worlds colliding during one unforgettable visit. The Grand Theatre will issue a public submission of interest/proposals for these two commissions seeking writers from Canada and England.
AMBROSE SMALL: An Extravagantly Musical, Mysteriously Grand Ghost Story, will have its World Premiere Halloween 2020 in celebration of The Grand’s 50th Anniversary Season. Set against the vibrant and wildly scandalous vaudeville era, Ambrose Small will invite audiences to explore the theatre as an interactive, site-specific musical adventure. Directed by Dennis Garnhum with the playwright to be announced in the near future.
As these four plays take shape, the first COMPASS production to have its world premiere on The Grand MainStage is SILENCE, written by Trina Davies and directed by Peter Hinton. Originally commissioned and developed through FUSE: The Enbridge New Play Development Program at Theatre Calgary, Silence will premiere in January 2018 as part of The Grand’s 2017/18 Season. Silence traces the true love story of Alexander Graham Bell and his wife, Mabel, who was deaf. The Grand Theatre dedicates the production to the late Iris Turcott, dramaturg.
“I’m overjoyed that Trina Davies’ play will be premiered at The Grand Theatre as part of Dennis’ first season at The Grand and that it will help launch the future of more new plays at that theatre. It is such a fitting way to connect our two theatres together, and celebrate the full journey of Trina’s beautiful play to the stage,” said Shari Wattling, Interim Artistic Director at Theatre Calgary.
The first phase of development of the four plays is projected to cost $100,000 ($25,000 per play), an amount that has already been secured from two sponsors: Tourism London and Carlyle Peterson Lawyers LLP. “It’s phenomenal to have this level of commitment from these two partners. We are thrilled to have support from Tourism London and Carlyle Peterson Lawyers to launch this program,” said Harvey.
Editor’s Note: Event will be archived at https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandLondon/.
About The Grand Theatre
The Grand Theatre, a leading regional theatre, is located in the heart of Downtown London, Ontario. It produces and presents professional performances on the MainStage and in the McManus Studio Theatre. The Grand season runs from September to May. The 2016/17 season is on sale now.
New Play Overview
GUY LOMBARDO’S NEW YEAR’S EVE
A Musical Celebration of a Local Hero
Orchestrations and Original Music by Dave Pierce
Book and Direction by Dennis Garnhum
World Premiere Spring 2019
The man renowned for ushering in the New Year to millions of homes across North America for nearly half a century was born in London, Ontario in 1902. Guy Lombardo’s New Year’s Eve brings to life Lombardo and his orchestra, The Royal Canadians, in this sweeping celebration that traces his legendary rise to “Mr. New Year’s Eve.” The production begins at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City as the band prepares for their New Year’s Eve broadcast and the countdown to midnight.
The development of this production is sponsored by Tourism London.
STARLIGHT TOURS
Musical Drama
Music/Lyrics by Leslie Arden
Book by Cathy Elliott
Starlight Tours is based on factual events reported in Saskatchewan in the early 2000s that trace back as far as the 1970s. A series of inquiries and media investigations would reveal a practice by Saskatoon police of picking up First Nations people, driving them outside the city limits, and abandoning them in the dead of winter at the side of the road. After three Indigenous men are found frozen on the prairie, the question would arise as to whether or not their deaths were a result of this practice, which has become known as “starlight tours.” This musical mystery explores a clash of cultures while celebrating the strength and resilience of two young women, one Cree, one white, who are able to find hope and a way forward.
This production is to be workshopped and developed in collaboration with Sheridan College’s Canadian Music Theatre Project.
The development of this production is sponsored by Carlyle Peterson, LLP.
LONDON BRIDGES
Living in London, Ontario one is surrounded by references to the other, larger, London, England. From the Thames River and Covent Garden Market to Oxford Street, there are so many shared associations. London Bridges is a comedy in two acts: Act One in London, England, Act Two in London, Ontario, each written by a native of that region. The play tells the story of two worlds colliding during one unforgettable visit.
The Grand Theatre will issue a public submission of interest/proposals for these two commissions – one from Canada and one from England.
The development of this production is sponsored by Tourism London.
AMBROSE SMALL
An Extravagantly Musical, Mysteriously Grand Ghost Story
Writer to be announced
Directed by Dennis Garnhum
World Premiere Halloween 2020 in Celebration of The Grand’s 50th Anniversary Season
Ambrose Small, a Canadian theatre tycoon and self-made millionaire, owned seven theatres across Ontario and built London’s Grand Theatre in 1901. On December 2, 1919 at the age of 56, he sold all of his properties and vanished, never to be found. Set against the vibrant and wildly scandalous vaudeville era, Ambrose Small will invite audiences to explore The Grand Theatre as an interactive, site-specific musical adventure.
The development of this production is sponsored by Tourism London.
SILENCE
Mabel and Alexander Graham Bell
By Trina Davies
Directed by Peter Hinton
World Premiere January 2018
Alexander Graham Bell connected people around the world by inventing the telephone. But it was of little use to his wife, Mabel, who was deaf. A beautiful (and true) love story about how we communicate.
This script was originally commissioned as part of FUSE: The Enbridge New Play Program at Theatre Calgary.
The Grand Theatre dedicates SILENCE to the late Iris Turcott.
London born IRIS TURCOTT was the dramaturg who worked with the writer on the development of this play. Iris was known as an extraordinary champion of new work for stages across Canada. SILENCE will be the first play to emerge through our COMPASS program.
2016-11-15
London: The Grand Theatre launches "COMPASS" – a new play development program